This summer, two of the most respected coaches in the NBA shared a common gig after suffering a common fate—Mike D’Antoni and Nate McMillan were both fired by their teams last March, but still went on to serve as assistant coaches for USA Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski during the London Olympics.

With a handful of less-than-attractive jobs available (Portland, Charlotte, Orlando), McMillan and D’Antoni were in no hurry to press their way back into NBA jobs, preferring instead to see what would open in the near future.

“Sometimes a little time to step away is a good thing,” McMillan said. “I am always grateful to have had the opportunity to be a head coach in the league in the first place. But I have faith that if the right situation comes up again, there is a chance things will work out.”

Hard to imagine that many situations will be more appealing than the one that opened up on Friday, when the Lakers shocked the NBA by firing embattled coach Mike Brown after just five games in charge of the team’s new star-heavy roster.

Phil Jackson. Obviously, there are difficult obstacles when it comes to bringing back Jackson, beginning with his health and the fact that he would not much want to go on long road trips. He also is well aware that the organization—led by Jim Buss—sought to actively go away from his style of coaching and the triangle offense after he left two years ago, and isn’t eager to dive back into the L.A. mix.

Still, this is exactly the kind of team that Jackson has thrived with over the years, with a set of extremely talented stars who just have not found a way to mesh on the court. It’s doubtful that he wants the job or that he will be asked to take it, but wistful Lakers fans can dream.

Mike D’Antoni. No one makes more sense for the job than D’Antoni, despite the way his career with the Knicks (121-167) wound up. D’Antoni’s offense is simple and relentless, and given the level of talent the Lakers have, his system would put each individual player in the best situation to succeed. He also has solid personal relationships behind him, starting with star guard Kobe Bryant—when Bryant was growing up in Italy, where his father played professionally, D’Antoni was his favorite player. Nash, of course, became a two-time MVP in D’Antoni’s system in Phoenix and remains close with him personally.

D’Antoni also was an assistant when Howard played on the ’08 Olympic team. He coached reserve big man Jordan Hill in New York, though that didn’t go well, with Hill having been buried on the Knicks’ bench before he was traded to Houston. D’Antoni did have recent knee replacement surgery, and will need another month or so to recover, but if he is the right fit, the Lakers will not let that stop them.

Brian Shaw. The Lakers made a mistake in not hiring Shaw—the guy Bryant wanted—as their coach in the summer of 2011, instead choosing Brown. They compounded that mistake by not directly informing Shaw that he would not be getting the job, instead allowing him to find out though media reports.

There was some bad blood there between Shaw and the front office, but still, this has to be a dream job for Shaw, who also has a good relationship with Howard. Having to wait a year-plus to get it, combined with some poor etiquette on the Lakers’ part, probably would not deter him.

Nate McMillan. McMillan is well-known and liked around the NBA, though his preferred style of offense does not fit well with the Lakers’ personnel. McMillan did change things up last year in Portland, attempting to get the Blazers to run more, but ultimately, last year was a disaster for the team.

Traditionally, McMillan’s teams rank among the bottom three or four teams in the NBA in terms of pace, and with Nash at point guard, that slow-down approach makes him a poor fit. He is a very good defensive coach, though, and the Lakers’ big problem in the early going has been a confused and porous defense.

Jerry Sloan. Sloan’s old-school, no-nonsense persona might be ideal for these starry Lakers, and the relative simplicity of his 1-4 offense makes sense for a team with a sharp point guard and very good frontcourt pick-setters.

Sloan is retired, and turned down a shot at the Portland job, but going to a team with a veteran-laden roster could get him back to the sideline. But he is relatively unfamiliar with the Lakers as an organization, and the team wants some level of comfort with the new guy.